Combined fan and score-card.



No. s47,522. Y PATENTED MAR. 19, 1907.

W. STEEL.

' COMBINED PAN AND SCORE CARD.

APPLICATION FILED DEU.5, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J6 YALEE) Rm @/VISITORS ALL? m;

'Witnesses n: NORRIS PETERS co., wnsnmorou, n. c:

No. 847,522.- PATENTED MAR. 19, 1907.

W. STEEL.

COMBINED FAN AND SCORE CARD.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO.5,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

59- 5&4.

THE NORRIS PETERS cm, wAsHINnTnN. n, c.

WILL STEEL, OF" TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS.

COMBINED FAN AND SCORE-CARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 1907.

Application filed December 5,1905. Serial No. 290,471.

10 all whom, it Tract/y concern:

Be it known that I, WILL STEEL, a citizen of the United States, residingat Texarkana, in the county of lviiller and State of Arkansas, haveinvented a new and useful Combined Fan and Score-Card, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined fan and score-card, and has for itsobject to provide a combined device of this character, particularlydesigned for use by persons attending base-ball games and the like andby means of which the several points made by the opposing teams duringthe progress of the a game may be conveniently registered and anaccurate account kept thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for registeringthe same points of the game for both teams and means for indicatingwhich. team is at the bat during any articular inning.

A further object is to provide a pivoted actuating member movable bygravity into engagen'ient with the ball and strike indicating dials, sothat a single push-button may be used for operating both dials.

A further object is to provide a pair of arms or pointers movable overthe face of the fan for indicating the batting order of the players onthe respective teams and means for looking one of said pointers againstrotation dur ing the movement of the other.

A still further object is to provide a plurality of sets of dialsoperated through the medium of push-rods extending through and supportedby a spring locking member and means for actuating the locking member tomove the push-rods into engagement with one of the dials of each set.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in form, proportions, and minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the principle or sacrifi cing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

In the accompan 'ing drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a front elevation of a combined fan and score-cardconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing theinterior mechanism. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 5 is adetail perspective view of the locking-pawls of the indicating-hands andball and strike dials, showing the flexible connection between the same.Fig. 6 is a detail transverse sectional view of the springlocking-plate, operatingcam, and adjacent dial. Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview showing a different manner of mounting the locking-pawls shown inFig. 5.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The device forming the subject-matter of the present invention consistsof a casing or housing, preferably in the form of a fan, as shown, andcomprising a pair of spaced plates 5 and 6, connected together in anysuitable manner and provided with a central vertically-disposedreenforcing-strip 7 upon which is mounted the registering mechanismhereinafter described. The fan or casing is provided with a hollowhandle 8, and formed in the face of the fan or plate 5 is a marginal rowof openings 9, preferably arranged in pairs and designed to receivesuitable cards 10, upon which may be printed the names of the severalplayers together with the positions they occupy on their respectiveteams, the batting order of the players being printed or otherwiserepresented on the face of the fan between each pair of openings, asshown.

Mounted for independent rotation at the center of the plate 5 are arrowsor pointers 11 and 12, operated alternately through the medium of asystem of gearing to indicate which particular player of the home orvisiting team is at the bat during the pro gress cf the game, whiledisposed above the pointers are two segmental openings 13 and 14 fordisplaying the number of balls and strikes registered against eachplayer during each half of each inning. Formed in the plate 5immediately below the pointers 11 and 12 are openings 15 and 16 fordisplaying the number of runs made by the respective teams during theprogress of the game, and arranged below and disposed in verticalalinenient with said openings are two additional openings 17 and 18,through which is displayed the number of whole and half innings playedand the number of men put out by either team dur in the progress ofone-half of any particular inning.

The several openings above describedmay be arranged in any scribedorder; but for sake of convenience in ascertaining the score I prefer tohave them ar 'anged in the manner shown.

Mounted for independent movement on a pin 19, secured to thereinforcing-strip 7, are toothed disks or wheels and 21, each. providedwith a segmental plate 22, upon which are stamped or otherwise printed aseries of numbers reinfesenting balls and strikes, respectively, saiddisks liieing actuated alternately to successively display the numeralsat the openings 13 and 14 in the casing by means of a gravity-actuatedpush-rod 23. The 1'111Sl1-i0tl 23 is pivoted at 24 to a rod 25, which inturn is connected to a bell-crank lever 26, mounted on a pin 27 in thehandle 8 and to which is secured a push-button 28, so that when the fanis held in a substantially horizontal position with the face up and thepush-button pressed inwardly the free end of the rod 23 will engage theteeth on the wheel 20 and register the balls, and when the fan is heldin a vertical position with. its face tilted toward the operator or saidfan turned over with its face down and the button pushed the rod 23 willengage the wheel 21 and register the number of strikes credited to anyparticular player. Interposed between the wheels 20 and 21 is a guarddisk or plate 29, which projects a short distance beyond the teeth onsaid wheels and serves to space the wheels apart and prevent the rodfrom engaging but one wheel at a time. The lateral movement of the rod23 is limited by a guide loop or clip 30, secured in any suitable mannerto the strip 7 and through which the rod passes, while the free end ofsaid rodis returned to normal position below the guarddisk 29 after eachmovement of the pushbut ton by means of a coil-sprin 31, interposedbetween a transverse partition 32 and a collar 33 on the red, as shown.

ltigidly secured to a pin on the strip 7 are spring-pawls 34 and 35, thefree end of which engage the teeth on the wheels 20 and 2] respectively,for preventing backward movement of said wheels, and connected to eachwheel is a coil-spring 36, the normal tendency of which it to return thewheels to initial position as soon as the pawls 34 and 35 are released,as will be more fully explained here inai'ter.

Mounted for independent rotation on a stub-shaft 37, preferablypositioned immediately below the stub-shaft 19, are toothed wheels 38and 39, the wheel 38 being provided with a sleeve or collar 40, carryingthe pointer 12, and the wheel 39, mounted. for rotation on said sleeveand carrying the pointer 11. The wheels 38 and 39 are alter natelyoperated to rotate the pointers 11. and 12 by means of a push-rod 41,which passes through a guiding loop or eye 41 in a spring locking member42, and is co nected to a l i l l 1 l suitable manner or prebell-cranklever 43, pivotally mounted in the handle of the fan at 44 and. to whichis secured a push-button 45. The rod 41 is movable laterally intoengagement with either the wheel 38 or 39, so that by o 'terating thebutton 45 the wheels may be rotated to turnv the hand 1]. or the hand12, and thereby indicate the battin order of the players on either team,as will be more fully explained hereafter. The wheels 38 and 9 arelocked against backward movement by means of spring-pawls 46 and 46, andconnecting each of said pawls to the pawls 34 and are cords or otherflexible mediums 47, whereby the movement of either of the wheels 38 and39 will cause its corresponding locking-pawl to move laterally andthrough the medium of the connecting-eords release the pawls 34 and 35,and thereby permit the ball and strike indicating disks to return tonormal position or, in other words, to indicate zero at the opening 13and 14 in the easmg.

Arranged below and n'eferably to one side of the stub-sh aft 37 is asimilar shaft 43, upon which is mounted a toothed wheel 49, provided.with a sleeve or collar 50, to which is secured a disk 51, havingnumbers stamped or otherwise printed thereon to indicate the runs madeby the visiting team. Mounted for independent rotation on the sleeve 50a toothed. wheel carrying a disk 53, having similar numerais stampedthereon to indicate the runs made by the home team, the toothed wheels49 and 52 being locked against backward rotation by suitable pawls 53.

The wheels 49 and are rotated to register the runs by means of apush-rod 54, which passes through an eye or loop 55 in the locking-plate42 and extends longitudinally of the handle 8 for connection with apushbutton 56, preferably disposed at the base ol the handle, as shown.

The locking-plate 42 is secured to the reinforcing-strip 7, and the freeend thereof is normally spaced from said strip, as lrest shown in Fig.6, so that the rods 41 and 54 will norn'rally be in position to engagethe teeth on the wheels 39 and 52 when. the pushbutton 45 and 56 areactuated, but when said plate is depressed in the manner hereinafterexplained and the push-button operated said rods will engage the teethon the wheels 38 and 49.

Journalcd in the reinforcing-strip 7 stub-shaft 55, which extendsthrough the back plate 6 and is provided with a hand or finger 57,adapted to point alternately to the n anre of the home or visitors team,according to which team is at the bat, the uarre of the respective teamsbeing printed on said back plate, as shown. Secured to and mounted forrotation with the stub sl'ia'l't 55 is a toothed wheel 53, havingirovable therewith a wheel or disk 59, upon which is printed a series ofnumbers adapted to register with the opening 18 in the fan-casing andindicate the numb er of men put out during one-half of any particularinning.

The disk 59 is provided with two transferteeth 59 so that when the wheel58 is rotated the distance of three teeth, corresponding to three menput out in any particular inning, one of the transfer-teeth 59 willengage the teeth of the innings-wheel 60 and cause the dial 61 of thelatter to display a numeral at the opening 17, corresponding to the lasthalf of one inning or the first half of the next, as the case may be.

The dial 61 is preferably formed of celluloid, isinglass, or similartransparent material, so as not to obstruct the opening 18, and thenumerals which begin at zero and represent whole and half innings arestamped or otherwise printed on the margin of the dial, as shown.

The inner face of the wheel or disk 59 is provided with a series ofratchet-teeth 62, preferably three in number, which ooperate with alocking lip or point 63 on the locking-plate 42 and prevent backwardmovement with said wheel, the latter being rotated by a push-rod 64,connected with a push-button 65, extending through the base of thehandle 8.

interposed between the toothed wheel 58 and disk 59 and mounted forrotation therewith is an intermediate wheel 66, provided with a cam 67,adapted to engage and. depress the looking-plate 42 every time threesuccessive outs are displayed at the opening 18, so that when one-halfof any particular inning is finished the push-rods 41 and 54 will beshifted out of engagement with the wheels 39 and 52 and into engagementwith the toothed wheels 38 and 49, and thus lock the registeringmechanism of the retiring team against movement during the rest of thein ning. The cam 67 is formed with a series of ratchet-teeth 68, similarto the teeth in the wheel 59, so that when the cam depresses thelocking-plate 42 the locking-lip 63 will engage said teeth and preventbackward movement of cam and wheel 59 while said cam 1s in engagementwith the lockmg-plate.

The push-buttons are preferably provided with enlarged heads 69 andannular collars 7 O, which serve to limit the inward and out wardmovement of said buttons. Coilsprings 71 are also mounted on the rods 54and 64 beneath the transverse partition 72 of the handle to return thebuttons 56 and to normal position after being pressed inwardly.

The operation of the device will be readily understood and is asfollows: At the beginning of the game the register is set with Zero atthe opening 18 either by turning the hand 57 on the back of the fan orpushing the bottom 65 until 1 shows at the opening 17 and the hand 57points to one or the other of the teams, which indicates that it is thefirst half of the first inning and no men are out. Suppose the firsthalf of the fifth inning is being "played and that the home team or Yaleis at the bat, while one man is out and the opposing teams h ave scoredtwo and three runs, respectively, as indicated in Fig. 1 of thedrawings. Should the man. at the bat get three balls, they may besuccessively regis tered by holding the fan in a substantiallyhorizontal position with its face up and depressing the button 28, whileany strikes that may be called by the umpire may likewise be registeredby turning the fan over with its face down or by tilting the face of thefan while in a vertical position toward the operator and depressing thesame button. Should the batsman have three strikes called on him, thebutton 65 is first pushed inwardly, which registers 2 at the opening 18and at the same time actuates the wheel 60 to indicate at the opening 17that the second half of the fifth inning is ready to commence. Thebutten 45 is then depressed, which rotates the hand 12 to indicate thenext man at the bat and at the same time releases the ball and strikeindicators, permitting the same to be returned by the action of thecoil-springs to Zero. Should the next man at the bat make a home run,the button 56 is depressed to register the run at the opening 15 and thebutton 45 actuated to indicate the next batter up and clear the face ofthe fan of balls and strikes should any have been registered against himbefore making his run. Now suppose the next man at the bat strikes out,the button 65 is again depressed, which inclicates zero or three men outat the opening 18 and at the same time moves the wheel 60 to indicate atthe opening 17 the last half of the fifth inning. As the wheel 59 isrotated to in dicate Zero at the opening 18 the cam 67 engages anddepresses the spring locking-plate 42, causing the latter to shift thepush-rods 41 and 54 into engagement with the wheels 38 and 49, so that asubsequent depression of the buttons 45 and 56 will actuate said wheelsto indicate the next man at the bat on the visiting team and the runsmade by said team, the wheels 38 and 49 being in the meantime locked ininoperative position by their respective pawls. As the cam 67 moves intoengagement with the locking-plate it will cause the hand on the back ofthe fan to point to the "Visitors, and when said cam clears thelocking-plate the hand will point to Yale, thereby enabling the operatorto determine at a glance which team is serving its term at the bat. Itwill of course be understood that as soon as three outs are registeredfor the visiting team at the opening 18 the cam will clear thelocking-plate, and thereby cause the latter to again shift the push-rodsinto engagement with the wheels 39 and 52.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings there is illustrated ITO a modified form ofthe invention in which the spring-pawls 34:, 35, 46, and e6 are securedto a common pin. or support, thereby dispensing with independentsupports for said pawls.

Il desired, a small watch or timepiece may be inserted. in an opening inthe face of the fan to enable the operator to ascertain the length oftime it takes to play any particular inning. T he face of the fan mayalso be enlarged and placed in stores, hotels, and the like, theineclianismbeingoperated by means 01'' wires extending to the base-ballgrounds and connected to push-buttons at that end of the line, or saidtan maybe operated electrically or in any other suitable manner.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In agame-register, a casing provided with a plurality of display-openings,registering-dials, and a pivoted. spring-actuated operating membermovable by gravity into engagement with the dials for displaying anumeral at said openings.

In a game-register, a casing provided with a plurality of(lisplay-openings, registe ing-dials, an operating member movable bygravity into engagement with the dials for displaying a numeral at saidopenings, and a guard. interposed between said dials.

3. In a game-register, a casing provided with a plurality of dis)layopenings, registering-dials, an operating member movable by gravityinto engagement with the dials for displaying a numeral at saidopenings, a guard-plate interposed between the dials, and means forresetting the dials.

l. In. a game-register, a casing provided. with plurality ofdisplay-openings, register ing-dials carried by the casing, a push-rodmovable by gravity into engagement with the dials for displaying anumeral at said. openings, means for preventing backward movement ol.the dials, and means for resetting said dials.

5. In a game-register, a casing provided with a plurality ofdisplay-openings, registering-dials arranged within the casing, apivoted. push-rod movable by gravity into engagement with the dials fordisplaying a numeral at said openings, a l'iell-erank lever pivoted tothe push-rod, means for preventing backward movement of the dials, and aspring for normally holding the push-rod. out of engagement with thedials.

6. In a register, a casing provided. with a plurality olidisplay-openings, a plurality ol registering-dials, an operating membermovable laterally and alternately into engagement with the dials forsuccessively displaying a numeral at said openings, and means each dial.

7. In a register, a casing provided with a plurality ofdisplay-openings, a plurality of registering-dials a laterally-m0vablespringactuated dial-operating member movable alternately into engagementwith the dials for successively displaying a numeral at said openings,and means for locking the member in engagement with each dial.

8. In a game-register, a casing provided with a plurality ol.display-openings, a plurality of sets of dials carried by the casing,operating members movable alternately into engagement with the dials ofeach set for successively displaying a numeral at said openings, apointer carried by both dials of one set and movable over the lace ofthe register, and means for locking said members in operative position.

9. In a game-register, a casing provided with a plurality ofdisplay-openings, a plurality of sets of dials carried by the casing,operating members movable alternately into engagement with the dials ofeach set for successively displaying a numeral at said openings, apointer carried by both dials of one set and movable over the face ofthe register, and means for locking said membersin operative position,said means also serving to prevent movement of one of the pointersduring the movement of the other.

10. In a game-register, a casing provided with a plurality ofdisplay-openings, a plurality ol sets of dials carried by the casing,push-rods mounted. for lateral movement within the casing and adapted toalternately engage the dials of each set for displaying a numeral atsaid openings, means for locking said members in operative position, andmeans for preventing backward rotation ol the dials.

I]. In a game-register, a casing provided with a pl rality ofdisplay-openings, a plurality of sets of dials, operating membersmovable altermitely into engagement with the dials of each set, and aconnection between two of the sets of dials whereby the movement oi oneset will return the adjacent set to zero.

12. In a game-register, a casing provided with a plurality ofdisplay-openings, a plural.- ity of sets oi dials, operating membersmovable alternately into engagement with the dials of each set, apointer carried by each dial of one set and movable over the face of thecasing, and a connection between the pointor-actuating dials and theadjacent dials whereby the movement oi either pointer will automaticallyreset said dials.

13. In a game-register, a casing provided with a pluraliy o1display-openings, a plurality of sets of dials, operating membersmovable alternately into engagement with the dials oi each set, apointer carried by each l'or locking said member in engagement with dialcl" one set and movable over the taco ol. the casing, spring-pawls forpreventing backward movement of the several sets of dials, and aflexible connection between the pawls of adjacent sets of dials wherebythe move ment of one set Will automatically return the adjacent set toZero.

14. In a game-register, a casing provided With a plurality ofdisplay-openings, a plural l ity of sets of dials, operating membersmovable alternately into engagement with the dials of each set forsuccessively displaying a numeral at said openings, and a spring-plateprovided with openings for the reception of the operating members andserving to lock said members in operative position.

15. In a game-register, a casing provided With a plurality ofdisplay-openings, a plural ity of sets of dials, a spring-plate securedto the casing and having its free end provided with guide-openings, andspring-actuated push-rods passing through the openings in the plate andadapted to alternately engage the dials of" each set for successivelydisplaying a numeral at the openings in the casing, said plate servingto lock the push-rods in operative position.

16. In a game-register, a casing provided with a plurality ofdisplay-openings, a plurality of sets of dials carried by the casing,operating members movable alternately into engagement With the dials ofeach set for successively displaying a numeral at said openings, meansfor holding the dial-operat1ng members in operative position, and a camfor actuating the locking means to shift the locl ing members.

17. In a game-register, a casing provided 5 with a plurality ofdisplay-openings, a plurality of sets of dials carried by the casing, aspring-pressed locking-plate arranged Within the casing, push-rodsengaging said plate and movable alternately into engagement with thedials of each set for successively displaying a numeral at saidopenings, and a cam adapted to depress the locking-plate for shiftthepush-rods.

i mg

l 18. In a gameregister, a casing provided with a plurality ofdisplay-openings, a plurality of sets of dials, a spring-pressedlockingplate arranged Within the casing and provided With a lockingdip,push-rods engaging said plate and movable alternately into engagementwith the dials of each set for successively displaying a numeral at saidopen ings, and a cam adapted to depress the locking-plate for shiftingthe push-rods said plate being provided with a series of teeth forengagement with the locking-lip.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

WILL STEEL.

Witnesses:

RALPH G. MOORE, PRATT P. BACON.

